We toured Emory Eastside yesterday. This is the hospital that we would have delivered in if we were going with the Gwinnett Kaiser practice.
The people there were very nice and informative. The tour covered more than the Northside tour covered. They showed us the nursing stations and where the circumcisions take place, which we weren't pointed out at Northside. The rooms are about the same size, although I think Northside's L&D room may be slightly bigger. Northside has a tub/shower combo, whereas Emory Eastside just has a shower (with a "shower chair").
They allow you to bring food in, but prefer a "clear liquid diet" for moms in labor. This is pretty much the same thing that Northside said. I think it's ridiculous. They do this in case you have to have a c-section. People who come into the emergency room after a car accident and have to get surgery weren't on a clear liquid diet before they got into their cars and had an accident. They can do the stinkin surgery just fine if you have been eating.
The thing that disturbed me the most is that if I have to have an emergency c-section and go under general anesthesia, Rob cannot be present for the birth. If I have the epidural, he can be present, but if it's an emergency and there's not time for an epidural, he cannot. I asked the nurse if this is the same at all hospitals, and she said that she thinks it is. It never came up twice during the tour, but never came up during the tour at Northside. I will have to ask someone from Northside if their policy is the same. This disturbs me because if we are at the hospital, it will be for a c-section, since we have decided on the homebirth. Also, if we're at the hospital, we will probably not have a lot of time to get an epidural, since we already will have lost time during transport after the medical issue was identified.
I think overall, I like Emory Eastside better. It's easier to get to, the staff was more friendly, it's less crowded, and parking is free. But that c-section thing could be the deal breaker, if Northside still allows the husband in.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Perfect Fetal Positioning
We had our first appointment with Debi, our homebirth midwife, yesterday. It went very well. We spent two hours at her house, filling out our chart, chatting, and doing the prenatal exam. She has some sort of stick that you put in the urine to detect hydration, sugars, etc like they do at the lab of the doctor's office. She felt my belly to find out the fetal positioning and measured my belly. She used a fetoscope to check the baby's heartbeat.
According to Debi, the baby was head down in an anterior position - exactly what you want during labor. Granted, we still have a long way to go, and there's a lot of room to move in there still, so he will probably be moving around between now and then.
My belly is measuring 26" right now. She said generally speaking, from this point on, I should be measuring within one or two inches of the number of weeks along I am. Yesterday I was 27 weeks, so she said the measurement was very good.
The fetoscope was pretty interesting. She let both me and Rob listen. It sounded like a very faint (and fast) clock ticking. She said the heartbeat was at 130.
My blood pressure is good. My pulse is very low (60), which is typical for runners. I was well hydrated, and she didn't find any problems with my urine strip.
The kind of time she spends with us is completely different than the kind of time you get at a doctor's office. At Kaiser, I was seeing midwives too. They would spend a little more time than the doctors and answer questions if I had them, but still, I probably saw them at most 20 minutes. She spent a full two hours with us, explaining things, answering questions. It really is a total change.
At 37 weeks she will be visiting our house to make sure we have everything ready for the birth. She wants everyone who will be at the house during the birth to be there, if possible, so she can meet them and answer any questions they may have to ensure they are comfortable with the process. That will be sometime around August 3rd.
She also invited anyone who may have questions or concerns about the homebirth idea to join us at any of our prenatal appointments. We will be seeing her every other week, on Tuesdays (usually the appointment will be at 3:30 on Tuesdays) starting June 15th.
According to Debi, the baby was head down in an anterior position - exactly what you want during labor. Granted, we still have a long way to go, and there's a lot of room to move in there still, so he will probably be moving around between now and then.
My belly is measuring 26" right now. She said generally speaking, from this point on, I should be measuring within one or two inches of the number of weeks along I am. Yesterday I was 27 weeks, so she said the measurement was very good.
The fetoscope was pretty interesting. She let both me and Rob listen. It sounded like a very faint (and fast) clock ticking. She said the heartbeat was at 130.
My blood pressure is good. My pulse is very low (60), which is typical for runners. I was well hydrated, and she didn't find any problems with my urine strip.
The kind of time she spends with us is completely different than the kind of time you get at a doctor's office. At Kaiser, I was seeing midwives too. They would spend a little more time than the doctors and answer questions if I had them, but still, I probably saw them at most 20 minutes. She spent a full two hours with us, explaining things, answering questions. It really is a total change.
At 37 weeks she will be visiting our house to make sure we have everything ready for the birth. She wants everyone who will be at the house during the birth to be there, if possible, so she can meet them and answer any questions they may have to ensure they are comfortable with the process. That will be sometime around August 3rd.
She also invited anyone who may have questions or concerns about the homebirth idea to join us at any of our prenatal appointments. We will be seeing her every other week, on Tuesdays (usually the appointment will be at 3:30 on Tuesdays) starting June 15th.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Painting the nursery
This weekend we began the process of painting the nursery. The nursery was an ugly brownish orange color to begin with. It was a dark shade, so we had to prime the walls before painting the pale blue color.
Saturday while Rob was at a meeting, I started taping around the baseboards, doors, and windows. I used tape that Mom gave me along with her painting supplies. Well, apparently, if tape isn't used for awhile, it loses its stickiness. It kept pulling away from the wall.
When Rob got home, he started helping me prime. He apparently has this huge fear of failing for some reason. I have never seen this with him before in anything he's tried, and he's tried a lot of things that he's never done before. But he constantly was saying how much he hates painting and didn't want to do it in the first place. I told him that he didn't have to help (and honestly, his "helping" was probably more harmful anyway because he seemed to rush everything, causing paint to drip everywhere). If he just calmed down, had a good attitude about it, and took it slow and steady, everything would be fine.
Ultimately, we got primer on all of the walls, despite the drip marks and dripping paint all over the drop clothes (thank goodness for drop cloths!). It's not very even, by any means, but I think it's enough to keep the brown from showing through the blue. I am going to have to get some sandpaper to sand down some of the areas so that the final painting isn't bumpy. I think I will also get some new drop cloths and retape everything so that there isn't paint all over where we are trying to walk. What a mess!
I was hoping that I wouldn't have to re-paint the trim, but it looks like I will have to do that. Since someone was rushing, and the tape wasn't sticking, there are way too many spots where the primer dripped down onto the trim.
On another note, the baby is kicking me in the bladder now, and it is making me have to visit the bathroom just about every hour.
Also, we have our first appointment with our homebirth midwife tomorrow, so I'll post on that either tomorrow or Wednesday.
Saturday while Rob was at a meeting, I started taping around the baseboards, doors, and windows. I used tape that Mom gave me along with her painting supplies. Well, apparently, if tape isn't used for awhile, it loses its stickiness. It kept pulling away from the wall.
When Rob got home, he started helping me prime. He apparently has this huge fear of failing for some reason. I have never seen this with him before in anything he's tried, and he's tried a lot of things that he's never done before. But he constantly was saying how much he hates painting and didn't want to do it in the first place. I told him that he didn't have to help (and honestly, his "helping" was probably more harmful anyway because he seemed to rush everything, causing paint to drip everywhere). If he just calmed down, had a good attitude about it, and took it slow and steady, everything would be fine.
Ultimately, we got primer on all of the walls, despite the drip marks and dripping paint all over the drop clothes (thank goodness for drop cloths!). It's not very even, by any means, but I think it's enough to keep the brown from showing through the blue. I am going to have to get some sandpaper to sand down some of the areas so that the final painting isn't bumpy. I think I will also get some new drop cloths and retape everything so that there isn't paint all over where we are trying to walk. What a mess!
I was hoping that I wouldn't have to re-paint the trim, but it looks like I will have to do that. Since someone was rushing, and the tape wasn't sticking, there are way too many spots where the primer dripped down onto the trim.
On another note, the baby is kicking me in the bladder now, and it is making me have to visit the bathroom just about every hour.
Also, we have our first appointment with our homebirth midwife tomorrow, so I'll post on that either tomorrow or Wednesday.
Monday, May 17, 2010
It's Official!
We are officially going to attempt a homebirth.
After our Bradley class on Friday, Rob told me that I'm just too anxious about a hospital birth and that he thought it would be better for us to do a homebirth. I called the midwife this morning to let her know. She is going to call me back later today to schedule an appointment to start my chart and collect our deposit.
What a relief this is! I feel so much better about the birth process. And hopefully, if everything goes well, we will be able to welcome our little bundle of joy in the comfort of his home.
Now we just have to paint the nursery and get everything set up and ready to welcome him.
After our Bradley class on Friday, Rob told me that I'm just too anxious about a hospital birth and that he thought it would be better for us to do a homebirth. I called the midwife this morning to let her know. She is going to call me back later today to schedule an appointment to start my chart and collect our deposit.
What a relief this is! I feel so much better about the birth process. And hopefully, if everything goes well, we will be able to welcome our little bundle of joy in the comfort of his home.
Now we just have to paint the nursery and get everything set up and ready to welcome him.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Thoughts on Homebirth
I've really been interested in the concept of a homebirth ever since I started reading up on the birthing process. So far, I have read the following books:
1) Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
2) Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
3) The Birth Book
My Bradley instructor has also recommended a homebirth for us, due to our insurance situation. The first thing that any of the books on birthing will tell you is to find the right doctor - one that is pro-natural birth and that you can develop a relationship with so he/she will understand your concerns. With my HMO insurance, I can't do that. Whoever is on call at the time I go into labor and check into the hospital will be who delivers my baby. I may never have met the person before.
Another thing the books say is that the more comfortable you are with your surroundings and the situation, the better labor will go. The easier it will be for the woman to relax, open up, and allow her body to do the work it needs to do. With my huge fear of needles and interventions, the higher than necessary Cesarean rates these days due to all the malpractice litigation, and all the anxiety that goes along with those things, I just don't feel that I will be comfortable enough in a hospital setting to relax. I will be constantly looking at the clock worried that my time was running out and that I am getting closer and closer to them forcing some intervention on me.
I equate this to having sex. For a man, if you tell them that they have 10 minutes to have sex. After then end of the 10 minutes, their mother is going to come in the room, and they will have to immediately stop whatever it is they're doing. If they have that thought in the back of their mind, they will either 1) actually be able to perform because they don't want their mother coming in during the middle of the act, or 2) they will get performance anxiety and not be able to even start in the first place. Either way, it probably isn't going to be the most pleasurable experience for either the man or the woman.
Although the birthing experience isn't exactly like sex, a lot of the same organs are being used. All my lady parts will be exposed for the world to see. Most women who have gone through it say that it doesn't matter at the time...all they want is that baby out of them. But it just doesn't seem like an experience that would promote relaxation, which is needed during the first stage of labor.
I feel like, due to my huge fear and the anxiety that comes along with possible interventions, I will be much more comfortable at home. I will know all the people who would come in the room. I could walk around naked if I wanted to. I could have the freedom to determine the best laboring positions for me, labor in the tub, eat when I need to eat, etc without someone looking over my shoulder and watching the clock. The midwife is trained to know when intervention is truly necessary, and to ensure that I get to the hospital in time should the need arise. I won't be afraid of someone pushing an unnecessary intervention on me just because it makes them more comfortable. Intervention would only happen if it was truly medically necessary. Just knowing that would make me feel more comfortable and would take away the anxiety.
I know that homebirth is a crazy concept these days, because it is so infrequent. People who have a homebirth or are considering it seem to be labeled "hippies" or old-fashioned. If you say you're going to have a homebirth, the first reaction is that it is dangerous and wouldn't you want to be in a hospital in case anything happened?
Homebirth used to be the norm. And, yes, both women and babies did die sometimes. But only 5% of the population truly needs an intervention and would have been saved by a Cesarean. Today over 33% give birth via surgery - that's 1 in 3 babies! I cannot believe that women's bodies have "broken" that much to cause the 5% to increase to 33%. The only reason for the increase in the rate is because of the doctor's fear of litigation. If the doctors "do all that they could to save the baby" then a jury won't rule against them. So many babies are born via Cesarean that would have been completely fine if their mothers had been allowed to labor longer.
And both women and babies still die sometimes in the hospital, so there's a risk either way. If it's so safe to have babies in the hospital, why is the maternal mortality rate worse in the U.S. than any other country except one? Most other countries use midwives primarily and have a much higher percentages of babies born at home. These countries have a much better maternal and infant mortality rate.
As you can probably tell, I'm completely convinced in having a homebirth. Now I just have to convince my husband...
1) Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
2) Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
3) The Birth Book
My Bradley instructor has also recommended a homebirth for us, due to our insurance situation. The first thing that any of the books on birthing will tell you is to find the right doctor - one that is pro-natural birth and that you can develop a relationship with so he/she will understand your concerns. With my HMO insurance, I can't do that. Whoever is on call at the time I go into labor and check into the hospital will be who delivers my baby. I may never have met the person before.
Another thing the books say is that the more comfortable you are with your surroundings and the situation, the better labor will go. The easier it will be for the woman to relax, open up, and allow her body to do the work it needs to do. With my huge fear of needles and interventions, the higher than necessary Cesarean rates these days due to all the malpractice litigation, and all the anxiety that goes along with those things, I just don't feel that I will be comfortable enough in a hospital setting to relax. I will be constantly looking at the clock worried that my time was running out and that I am getting closer and closer to them forcing some intervention on me.
I equate this to having sex. For a man, if you tell them that they have 10 minutes to have sex. After then end of the 10 minutes, their mother is going to come in the room, and they will have to immediately stop whatever it is they're doing. If they have that thought in the back of their mind, they will either 1) actually be able to perform because they don't want their mother coming in during the middle of the act, or 2) they will get performance anxiety and not be able to even start in the first place. Either way, it probably isn't going to be the most pleasurable experience for either the man or the woman.
Although the birthing experience isn't exactly like sex, a lot of the same organs are being used. All my lady parts will be exposed for the world to see. Most women who have gone through it say that it doesn't matter at the time...all they want is that baby out of them. But it just doesn't seem like an experience that would promote relaxation, which is needed during the first stage of labor.
I feel like, due to my huge fear and the anxiety that comes along with possible interventions, I will be much more comfortable at home. I will know all the people who would come in the room. I could walk around naked if I wanted to. I could have the freedom to determine the best laboring positions for me, labor in the tub, eat when I need to eat, etc without someone looking over my shoulder and watching the clock. The midwife is trained to know when intervention is truly necessary, and to ensure that I get to the hospital in time should the need arise. I won't be afraid of someone pushing an unnecessary intervention on me just because it makes them more comfortable. Intervention would only happen if it was truly medically necessary. Just knowing that would make me feel more comfortable and would take away the anxiety.
I know that homebirth is a crazy concept these days, because it is so infrequent. People who have a homebirth or are considering it seem to be labeled "hippies" or old-fashioned. If you say you're going to have a homebirth, the first reaction is that it is dangerous and wouldn't you want to be in a hospital in case anything happened?
Homebirth used to be the norm. And, yes, both women and babies did die sometimes. But only 5% of the population truly needs an intervention and would have been saved by a Cesarean. Today over 33% give birth via surgery - that's 1 in 3 babies! I cannot believe that women's bodies have "broken" that much to cause the 5% to increase to 33%. The only reason for the increase in the rate is because of the doctor's fear of litigation. If the doctors "do all that they could to save the baby" then a jury won't rule against them. So many babies are born via Cesarean that would have been completely fine if their mothers had been allowed to labor longer.
And both women and babies still die sometimes in the hospital, so there's a risk either way. If it's so safe to have babies in the hospital, why is the maternal mortality rate worse in the U.S. than any other country except one? Most other countries use midwives primarily and have a much higher percentages of babies born at home. These countries have a much better maternal and infant mortality rate.
As you can probably tell, I'm completely convinced in having a homebirth. Now I just have to convince my husband...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Homebirth Midwife Interview
We interviewed our first homebirth midwife yesterday. Her name is Debi, and I felt very comfortable with her. She is a born-again Christian. She's a Certified Professional Midwife and has performed 563 births so far. She has 30 total years of experience (including the five years of training/interning she did). She is able to suture, if tearing occurs, and even teaches suturing to others. She's delivered all of her seven grandchildren. She's never lost a baby or a mother while she was the primary midwife.
She said that she has had to transport some of her patients to the hospital, but her intervention rate is something like 0.6%. She said that some of the reasons for transport included: prolapsed cord (where the umbilical cord came out before the baby) and hemorrhaging after the birth (where she couldn't get the bleeding to stop). When she was explaining the situations, she seemed like she knew what she was doing and got both mother and/or baby to the hospital safely.
Her care includes prenatal visits and two postnatal visits. She would visit our house once before the baby is born, at 37 weeks, to ensure she knew where to go and that we had all the supplies necessary. She would perform a comprehensive baby exam after birth, so we wouldn't have to take the baby to the pediatrician for five days after birth.
She also recommended a pediatrician - the same one that our Bradley instructor recommended - as well as another pediatrician who can perform circumcisions and is the best in town at doing it. We will be changing our medical insurance as soon as the baby is born so that we can use someone other than Kaiser for the baby.
She seemed very down-to-earth and friendly - someone you can really get along with and is easy to talk to.
I'm totally sold on the idea. I think Rob has warmed up to it, but isn't quite all on board yet. His biggest concern is that, while it is legal to have a homebirth, it is not legal for midwifes to deliver at homebirths. According to Debi, it is a misdemeanor for her to practice in Georgia. They apparently don't actively enforce this, but aren't in any hurry to change the law either. Debi said that two midwives in Georgia have been put under investigations (she is not one of them). One was dropped pretty quickly, and the other went through the investigative process and nothing was ever done.
So we now have two options: homebirth with a midwife (my fav option) or hospital birth with a Douala. We will have to interview some Doualas if we decide on the latter. We also have two other names of midwives that we could interview for the homebirth option.
We will see...
She said that she has had to transport some of her patients to the hospital, but her intervention rate is something like 0.6%. She said that some of the reasons for transport included: prolapsed cord (where the umbilical cord came out before the baby) and hemorrhaging after the birth (where she couldn't get the bleeding to stop). When she was explaining the situations, she seemed like she knew what she was doing and got both mother and/or baby to the hospital safely.
Her care includes prenatal visits and two postnatal visits. She would visit our house once before the baby is born, at 37 weeks, to ensure she knew where to go and that we had all the supplies necessary. She would perform a comprehensive baby exam after birth, so we wouldn't have to take the baby to the pediatrician for five days after birth.
She also recommended a pediatrician - the same one that our Bradley instructor recommended - as well as another pediatrician who can perform circumcisions and is the best in town at doing it. We will be changing our medical insurance as soon as the baby is born so that we can use someone other than Kaiser for the baby.
She seemed very down-to-earth and friendly - someone you can really get along with and is easy to talk to.
I'm totally sold on the idea. I think Rob has warmed up to it, but isn't quite all on board yet. His biggest concern is that, while it is legal to have a homebirth, it is not legal for midwifes to deliver at homebirths. According to Debi, it is a misdemeanor for her to practice in Georgia. They apparently don't actively enforce this, but aren't in any hurry to change the law either. Debi said that two midwives in Georgia have been put under investigations (she is not one of them). One was dropped pretty quickly, and the other went through the investigative process and nothing was ever done.
So we now have two options: homebirth with a midwife (my fav option) or hospital birth with a Douala. We will have to interview some Doualas if we decide on the latter. We also have two other names of midwives that we could interview for the homebirth option.
We will see...
Monday, May 10, 2010
Good Weekend!
This past weekend was a great weekend! I got to see my dad and sister, who I don't get to see very often. My other sis graduated from medical school to become Dr. Amy Coker. I attempted and completed a 12 mile run. We celebrated my first Mother's Day with my mom and grandmother - three generations of mothers together. And we got to use Robby's grill and eat hamburgers and hot dogs. So many fun things!
I will admit that I've been slacking a little on my running lately. I'm trying to still run 3 miles three times a week and a long run on the weekends. Most weeks I've run 3 miles at least two days a week, but slacked on the third day. I have missed my long runs several times in the past two months. It's probably because of the fact that I have no goal to work toward and no set schedule for my runs.
Last weekend I attempted to run a 13 mile run. I got to 8 miles, and was so chaffed around my upper/inner thighs that I had to stop. It was quite depressing - my thighs have gotten so fat. I probably could have run the distance if the chaffing hadn't happened, but I'll never know.
So this weekend, I ran with some shorts that were a lot tighter - kinda like biker shorts, but without the padding. I also used Vaseline as extra insurance. It really helped. I was able to run a full 12 miles. The first few miles were sub-10 minute miles, and I finished the whole thing in about 2 hrs, including two bathroom breaks, several hydration breaks, and a short refuel break. It made me feel really good.
Next week Amy will be able to run with me. I would like to attempt 14 miles, but we'll see how that goes.
I will admit that I've been slacking a little on my running lately. I'm trying to still run 3 miles three times a week and a long run on the weekends. Most weeks I've run 3 miles at least two days a week, but slacked on the third day. I have missed my long runs several times in the past two months. It's probably because of the fact that I have no goal to work toward and no set schedule for my runs.
Last weekend I attempted to run a 13 mile run. I got to 8 miles, and was so chaffed around my upper/inner thighs that I had to stop. It was quite depressing - my thighs have gotten so fat. I probably could have run the distance if the chaffing hadn't happened, but I'll never know.
So this weekend, I ran with some shorts that were a lot tighter - kinda like biker shorts, but without the padding. I also used Vaseline as extra insurance. It really helped. I was able to run a full 12 miles. The first few miles were sub-10 minute miles, and I finished the whole thing in about 2 hrs, including two bathroom breaks, several hydration breaks, and a short refuel break. It made me feel really good.
Next week Amy will be able to run with me. I would like to attempt 14 miles, but we'll see how that goes.
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